K B Bini, D. Akhilesh, P. Prabhakara, Kamath J.V
Niosomes are non-ionic surfactant vesicles obtained on hydration of synthetic nonionic surfactants, with or without incorporation of cholesterol or other lipids. They are vesicular systems similar to liposomes that can be used as carriers of amphiphilic and lipophilic drugs. Niosomes are promising vehicle for drug delivery and being non-ionic, it is less toxic and improves the therapeutic index of drug by restricting its action to target cells. They are lamellar structures that are microscopic in size. They are now widely used as alternative to liposomes. Niosomal dispersion in an aqueous phase can be emulsified in a non-aqueous phase to regulate the delivery rate of drug and administer normal vesicle in external non-aqueous phase. Stable niosome dispersion must exhibit a constant particle size and a constant level of entrapped drug. Span 60 is the better surfactant of all because it is having high phase transition temperature and low HLB (Hydrophilic Lipophilic Balance) so it will form vesicles of good size.one more reason for the selection of span 60 and that was the critical packing factor which is between 0.5 and 1 for this surfactant so it forms spherical vesicles. If CPP factor is below 0.5 it cause micelles to form and if it was above 1 it will form inverted vesicles. Lornoxicam loaded niosomes were prepared by Lipid film hydration method with different surfactant to cholesterol ratio. The niosome formulations were evaluated for FT-IR study,microscopy. The niosomal suspensions were further evaluated for entrapment efficiency, In vitro release study, Kinetic data analysis, Stability study. The formulation F4 which showed higher entrapment efficiency of 80.54 ±0.99. Release was best explained by the zero order kinetics. Kinetic analysis shows that the drug release follows super case II transport diffusion. Niosome formulation has showed appropriate stability for 90 days.
